Fastener for guard fences



March 6, 1934. w. BLACKMORE 1,949,897

FASTENER FOR GUARD FENCES Filed Jan. 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwentoz11 17154211 Blackmore 93m Meme/1 March 6, 1934. w BLACKMQRE 1,949,897

FASTENER FOR GUARD FENCES Filed Jan. 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 avwemtozWilliam: Black/nerd 10 85 115! flame/1 HUM/574M,

March 6, 1934. w BLACKMORE 1,949,897

FASTENER FOR GUARD FENCES Filed Jan. 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I '26 mm"*m. J 25 g 2.9

amoemtoz fiilli Blaclrmorc Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENTQF'FIQE FASTENER FOR GUARD FENCES William Blackmor e, Sharon, Pa.,assignor to National Malleable and Ste el Castings Com- 8 Claims.

My invention is directed to highway fence protection of the type inwhich the cables, wire ropes, pipes or rods, etc., of which the fence isformed, are supported by a series of posts, and relates particularly tomeans for supporting the fencing in such position that it will be heldaway from the posts and toward the roadway, so as to minimize the damagewhich may be done to either fence or motor vehicle when the former isstruck m by the latter. My invention provides fasteners or supports forthe fencing by which the fencng is not only spaced inwardly from thepost such a distance that the wheels and other parts of motor vehicleswill be prevented from coming in contact with the post, but it alsoprevents the parts of such vehicles from striking protruding parts ofthe clamp or fence support. My improved construction is so arranged thatif a vehicle strikes the fencing, it will slide past the post and fencesupport thereon without material injury to it or to them.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows a miniature elevation of aguard fence post to which fencing in the form of cables is secured byfasteners or supports embodying my invention; Figure 2 is a sideelevation of one of the supports showing the cable in position therein;Figure 3 is a plan thereof and Figure 4 is a front elevation thereof;Figiu'e 5 is a side elevation of the securing bolt and Figure 6 is anend elevation thereof;

Figure 7 is a partial assembly in side elevation of a modified form ofmy improved support; Figure 8 is a complete assembly in vertical sectionthereof Figure 9 is a side elevation somewhat similar to a portion ofFigure 2, but showing a modification thereof; and Figure 10 is a plan ofsuch modified structure otherwise similar to a portion of Figure 9.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the supportingposts are indicated at A and the protection members which I have shownin the form of wire cables at B. My improved supporting mechanismconsists in a metal mounting or support 2 preferably made in the form ofa casting, which has sharpened projections 3 adapted to sink into thepost A and thus keep the support 2 from shifting relative thereto.

At its end away from the post A the support is provided with a recess 4,which receives the protection member B. The lower portion of the recessis struck on an arc of a circle from its outer lip 5 toward the rear ofthe recess and forms a stationary receiving jaw 6 for the cable B. Thejaw 6 preferably has upwardly extending teeth '7 which are intended toengage the member 13 and prevent it from slipping with respect to thesupport. The support 2 has an aperture 8 preferably extending centrallyand horizontally therethrough for reception of the shank portion 9 ofthe bolt 10, which extends through a corresponding hole 11 in the postand in which it is intended to be held by the nut 12 which is threadedonto the rear end of the shank and engages the rear side of the post A.The bolt 10 at its forward end has an oiiset jaw portion 13 with anareshaped inner face terminating in an outer lip 14 oppositely facingthe lip 5. The jaw 13 preferably has a series of teeth 15 which projectradially inwardly and are intended when the bolt 10 is assembled in thesupport to face the teeth 7 of the support 2. The walls of the innerportion oi. the recess 4 have inclined faces 8 which merge into thewalls of the through aperture 8.

The aperture 8 preferably is of a diameter but slightly larger than thebolt shank 9, so as to provide metal around the red at the rear of thesupport so that a slight movement of the support will put the bolt intoshear, which thus affords a reinforcement for the support againstlateral blows.

In assembling the cable or other protection member B and the fasteningon a post A, the support 2 is placed in position with its aperture 8 inalignment with the hole 11 in the post A and the shank 9 of the bolt 10is then inserted therethrough and the nut 12 applied on the threadedrear end of the shank, but without being tightly turned down. The memberB is then slipped in between the stationary jaw 6 on the support and themovable jaw 13 on the bolt 10 and then the nut 12 is set up tightly,thus causing the jaws 6 and 13 and the teeth 7 and 15 to grip the memberB and the support 2 to be drawn back against the post A, thus embeddingthe projections 3 in the sides of the post. Also, as the jaw 13 is drawninwardly, its upper side engages the inclined wall 8 as is shown in Fig.2, and is thus caused to bite strongly down upon the cable or otherprotection member.

In Figures '7 and 8 I have shown a modified form of my-invention, inwhich the lips 25 at the upper and lower edges of the recess 24 aresymmetrical and the bolt 30 has both of the fence member receiving jaws26 formed upon it. The shank adjacent the jaws is slit so as to permitthe jaws to be drawn together or spread apart. Each of these jaws 26 ispreferably formed with inwardly projecting teeth 27 thereon. It will beseen that as the bolt 30 is pulled in through the support by the nut 32,the tapered surfaces- 33 in the central aperture will cause the splitportions of the shank 29 to be drawn together and clamp the jaws 26 andthe teeth 27 thereon inwardly upon the cable or other member. Preferablythe bolt 30 is made of two separate forgings which are spot weldedtogether.

In Figures 9 and 10 I have shown a further modification of my inventionin which the jaws 40 and 41 hold the cable or other protection member insuch manner as to permit it to slide freely with respect to the support.I accomplish this by providing means for preventing the jaws from beingclamped tightly upon the cable. Such means preferably consists informing a depression 42 in the rear surface of the movable jaw 41 inwhich a shoulder 43 projecting from the surface of the recess 44 isintended to bear.

It will thus be seen that as the bolt is pulled rearwardly the verticalwall of the depression 42 will engage the shoulder 43 and thus limit theinward movement of the jaw 41 and its clamping effect on the cable orother member. Hence, if the clearance between the jaws 40 and 41 isproperly adjusted, they will support the cable or other member and yetpermit it to slide freely with respect to the fasteners.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalentsof the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognizethat various structural modifications are possible within the scope ofthe invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A fence fastening for a highway guard post comprising a supporthaving an aperture there through and a fence element receiving jaw, abolt having a shank extending through the aperture in the support andcomprising means for securing the support to a post, said bolt havingalso a fence element engaging jaw movable vertically and adapted toengage a fence element on the side opposite to the jaw on the support.

2. A fence fastening for a guard fence post comprising a support havingan aperture therethrough and a fence element receiving jaw, a bolthaving a shank extending through the aperture in the support andcomprising means for securing the support to a post, said bolt havingalso a jaw for engaging a fence element on the side opposite to the jawon the support, said aperture having a sloping wall adapted to beengaged by said bolt jaw to force the latter into firmer engagement withthe fence element upon inward movement of the bolt, the fence elementwhen clamped within said jaws extending outwardly from the post at leastas far as any portion of the support and the bolt.

3. A fence fastening for a guard fence post comprising a support havinga recess therethrough having an enlarged outer portion, an arc-shapedsurface in said enlarged portion forming a fence element receiving jaw,a member having a shank extending through said recess and having at therear end means for securing to a post, said member also having a fenceelement engaging jaw seating in said enlarged portion oppositelydisposed to the fence element receiving jaw, and coacting means on saidsupport and member for moving said jaws together.

4. A fence fastening for a highway guard post comprising a supporthaving a recess therethrough having an enlarged outer portion, a surfacein the enlarged portion forming a fence element receiving jaw, a memberhaving a shank extending through said recess, and an offset jaw seatingin the enlarged portion of the recess forming a fence element engagingjaw opposite the fence receiving jaw, said jaws being movable verticallyrelative to each other and coacting means on said support and member forlimiting said relative vertical movement, said member also comprisingmeans for securing the support in operative relation to a post.

5. A fence fastening for a highway guard post comprising a supporthaving a recess with an enlarged forward portion and a reduced rearwardportion extending horizontally through the support, a member having apair of oppositely disposed fence element receiving jaws thereon and arearwardly extending shank intended for seating respectively in theenlarged outer portion and reduced rearward portion of the recess, saidmember also comprising means for clamping the jaws tightly on a fenceelement and for securing both support and member to a post.

6. A fence fastening for a highway guard post comprising a supporthaving a recess with an enlarged forward portion and a reduced rearwardportion extending horizontally through the support, a member having apair of oppositely disposed fence element receiving jaws thereon tightlyupon a fence element as the member is drawn rearwardly relative to thesupport.

'7. A fence fastening for a highway guard post comprising a pair offence element clamping jaws, means for supporting the jaws in horizontalspaced relation to a post, means for retracting at least one of the jawsrelative to the supporting means, said supporting means having aninclined surface in engagement with one of the jaws for forcing the saidjaws to grip a fence element tightly.

8. A fastening for a guard fence post comprising a pair of fence memberholding jaws, means for supporting the jaws in horizontal spacedrelation to the post, means for adjusting the jaws toward and away fromeach other by relative

